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Jasdevi doesn't like Neah very much, but can you blame them?

D Gray-man belongs to Hoshino Katsura

Broken Moonlight

Chapter 8: Confrontation

Neah awoke to discover Road snuggled close to his chest, her features relaxed in the realm of slumber. He hadn't the heart to shift and disturb her, as her countenance seemed so tranquil. Amber eyes drifted over to the corner of the room only to find that the older Noah had taken his leave.

He was unsure of when exactly he had fallen asleep, only remembering his ordeal with the Millennium Earl and then his conversation with the two Noah prior to his slumber. Raising his hand, he ran his appendages through his hair, tugging lightly at a few snarls that had accumulated within them while he had rested.

The motions provoked a slight stirring from Road, causing Neah to still once again. He observed her dusky features in silence, hoping that he had not disrupted her. As she merely shifted, closing the already minuscule gap between them, he relaxed.

His gaze drifted over to the window, taking in the sight that met his eyes. The sky had ceased to weep, leaving the heavens shrouded by an overcast of light grey clouds. His eyes narrowed at the muted brightness that had flooded his sparsely lit chamber.

"A…llen…?"

Golden eyes drifted down to meet the gaze of the girl who proceeded to rub her eyes so as to relieve them of their sleep-induced haze. A smile spanned his lips as he slowly pushed himself up into a seated position, noting the dull throb that pulsated from the wound on his side.

"Hey, Road," he greeted casually. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

She let out a yawn and stretched with a slight groan before staring up at him once again, blinking the last remnants of sleep from her golden gaze. "Well enough, I guess," she responded, another yawn playing on her lips.

Her gaze trailed languidly from his eyes down to his bandaged torso. Raising a finger, she poked his side lightly. "Feeling any better?" A nod was his response. She lowered her hand and smiled. "Good."

His eyes remained trained upon her young figure as she slid off the bed and padded over to the window, resting her arms on the sill and staring out of it. Her form seemed dwarfed further by the window that Neah had never truly regarded as large until sighting her standing behind it.

"Hey, Allen?"

"Yes?"

She did not spare him a glance, even as she continued to speak, her golden gaze fixated upon the silver clouds up in the distance. "You seemed so heartless back then compared to now. But you lost something back then, didn't you?" she ventured, her voice indistinctly muted.

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to put… It's like whatever you want to do now isn't for a selfish reason like last time," she offered in meek attempts to try and explain what it was she wanted to convey.

Neah's head tilted at the back of her short stature. His reasons for his actions? Whether they were selfish or not, he himself wasn't certain. Why Road would incite such a subject, he didn't know either. A slight frown curled onto his lips. "Why bring this up so suddenly?"

"Dreams, I suppose…" Road murmured, her golden gaze not turning away from the clouds that blanketed the sky with their dim light. "Troubling dreams," she added as an afterthought. One slender arm propped itself up on the sill to create a cushion for her cheek.

"Oh?"

Golden orbs drifted to the periphery of her vision as she stole a glance at the fourteenth Noah. "Destruction follows you wherever you go, but that's normal since you're the Noah of destruction." Trailing back to the sky, she sighed slightly. "I think that when you died, you triggered the beginning of the end. Now that you're here again, it's like you'll bring the end to a close."

"That's….a little presumptuous," Neah admitted tentatively, his hand lowering to rest upon his side. His eyes remained trained on Road's back. She didn't seem to notice, and even if she did, she disregarded the obvious stare.

The head of serrated dark blue hair turned and his gaze was met with the amber one of the older Noah. "You're like a supernova," she stated simply. "You're most prominent when you cause destruction." He held her gaze in silence.

Her words perplexed him. He could not grasp the context within her words, and they puzzled him to no end. He could assure himself that she was attempting to convey something of significance. His eyes must have betrayed his bewilderment as she proceeded to smile as per normal.

"You look like a fool," she chirped, stepping back to the bed and reaching out to poke his cheek.

A rueful smile spanned his features."You're playing me for a fool," he responded.

"Not really - I'm just being vague because I don't want to tell you anything," she responded simply. "You're already dull enough as is and I don't want you to have to think about more things."

"I'm glad you have so much faith in my mental capability," Neah replied wryly.

Settling herself on the edge of the bed, Road allowed her legs to swing slightly as she flashed him a playful grin. "Don't you know it," she responded in a somewhat sing-song tone.

Neah chuckled softly. The way the girl's mind worked was rather curious, he would admit. He couldn't truthfully say that he understood her completely, but that only made living with her more engaging. After having been unserviceable for the many years since his death, he had forgotten how much he adored each individual of his non blood-related family.

Yes, he did admit that much, but he still despised those memories that had become the bane of their existences whether they were aware of it or no. Nevertheless, there was not much he could undertake to solve the ancient complication.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples lightly before inching over to the bed's edge. "We should probably head over before we miss breakfast," he declared mildly, setting his feet down on the floor. Road's head tilted slightly.

"Should you really be walking around in that state?" she questioned, the swings of her legs slowing to an eventual halt. His eyes drifted down to his patched up abdomen, and a sheepish smile stole over his dusky features.

"Probably not," he concurred with her sentiment. Stepping over to the closet within his room, he tugged it open and pulled out a fresh shirt, slipping it onto his being and buttoning it up so that the bandages were hidden from view. Glancing back at Road, he chuckled. "I think this is more presentable."

Shifting, he turned towards the birch door and made his way to it. With a pout tracing her lips vaguely, she slipped off the bed and padded over to him, wrapping her arms around his own limb, hanging off it childishly.

"A~llen, you're going to hurt yourself more if you walk around like that," she protested. He reached over with his free arm to ruffle her spiky locks.

"I'll be fine, Road - it'll heal quickly since it wasn't aimed at me to begin with." She jabbed his side with her finger, noting the faint wince that the action induced from the white-haired Noah.

"Well next time it might be," she stated in a matter-of-factly tone. "And if you don't want that girly-man to die, then you probably shouldn't let him hurt you again or I'll kill him."

Neah paused, his footsteps slowing to a halt as his amber gaze drifted down to her puerile pouting face. "...how did you know it was him?" As far as he could recall, he had not mentioned the long-haired exorcist to anyone save Tyki, who had been present when the deed had been executed.

"I have sources," she dismissed quickly before releasing his arm and running down the hall. "Now hurry up or we'll miss breakfast!"

If he had first recalled, he had been the one to alert her of the fact, but he found it safe to assume that she was seeking for a means of diverting the course of their conversation. Humouring her, he refused to press the matter as she did not desire to share anything more than what she previously had.

As she pulled aside the curtains, he held them open for her, a fond smile upon his features. His eyes drifted around the scene of the dining hall, only to find that the Millennium Earl was not present. He relaxed. That would make the wearisome ordeal of repast more bearable.

Opting to sit down beside Road who remained in her standard seat beside Tyki, he began to moderately fill his plate, appetite leaving him for what reason he knew not. However, being in Allen's body, he realized that he needed to eat in order to maintain the health within his body, thanks to that cursed innocence that resided within the white-haired boy's body.

Vaguely, he wondered if Allen would feel the brunt of lack of nutrition due to his average appetite compared to his black hole that the exorcist possessed for a stomach. Even with that conjecture in mind, Neah could not bring himself to eat more than what had been provided for him.

"Are you feeling any better?" Tyki questioned, pausing from his own meal to spare a glance at the white-haired Noah.

Neah smiled reassuringly at him."Much better," he promised.

The taller of the two merely nodded and breathed out a sigh. "That's good. Duke Millennium blamed himself for the injury and cried himself to sleep. I believe he is still asleep."

Somewhere in his mind, Neah could not help but feel a slight indication of contempt for the Earl. At the very least, he found himself relishing in the man's misery. A cruel thought, he knew, but the man deserved it in his mind. If it pained him, then Neah would allow it.

His grudge against the Millennium Earl still remained strong, and he refused to release the tight grip that he retained on his bitterness. The very thought made his fingers twitch with choler against the Earl. Oh, he would love nothing more than to strangle the man or subjugate him to a painful death in some way.

"Hey, hey, 14th!"

Neah praised Allen's instinctual rapid reflexes that enabled him to dodge the nettled fork that buried itself in the wooden frame of his chair. Amber eyes traced it to its source: the dark hand of the tenth disciple of Noah. A faintly irritated expression was plastered onto Devit's features as he pointed an accusing finger at the plate held within Neah's hands.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to break the plate - don't expect us to pay for another one!"

The long-haired blond beside him crossed his arms over his chest with closed eyes, and nodded in piqued concurrence. "It's bad enough to still be stuck with Cross's debts, and he's not even alive any more," he fussed, exasperated.

A placating smile made its way over Neah's features as he released the dining utensil. "My bad," he apologized. Despite regarding himself a rather well-disciplined person, he still could not repress the innate rage that coursed through his veins at the mere thought of the Millennium Earl.

A snort was the response of the more belligerent of the two as Devit's arms crossed over his dark chest as well, but did not respond to the mildly spoken apology of the white-haired Noah.

Neah's eyes drifted to his side as he felt the familiar small arms wrap around his arm once again, only to find Road glaring childishly at the twins.

"Don't be mean to him - he didn't mean it!" she defended, squeezing his arm lightly.

"Ah, Road-" Neah was prepared to say that there was no need to speak in his defence, due to the fact that causing a conflict over a nearly bisected plate was a juvenile move. However, before the words could leave his lips, Devit interrupted sharply.

"Of course - just like he didn't mean to murder the family thirty-five years ago!"

The room froze at the words, and Neah's smile grew strained. Abandoning the expression altogether, he sighed and glanced down at Road, who was staring, shocked and incensed, at the dark-haired of the two twins.

"It'd be the peak of insolence if he called that a mistake," Jasdero agreed, one eye opening to fixate itself on Neah.

Feeling a discomfort crawl along his spine, Neah forcibly attempted a smile once again, his eyes vaguely narrowed unintentionally at the two twins. "I wouldn't dismiss that as a mistake," he spoke, breaking the silence that had been created by the two Noah of bonds.

"Then what?" Devit challenged, raising an eyebrow. "Something you did before and would do again?"

If anything, Neah could feel the literal temperature drop to match with the icy tone of the dark-haired twin. It was the least of his desires to cause a dispute among the Noah.

Urging his taut muscles to relax, he closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath. He then proceeded to lightly tug the fork out of his chair and polish it with the sleeve of his short before setting it on the table. Calmly, he stood from where he had been seated and pushed the chair to the table before glancing up at the twins.

"I did do it before," he concurred mildly, his voice even. Without speaking further, he strode purposefully out of the hall. His eyes noted the feline ones of the black panther that laid in the corner of the room observing him, but he hid the fact that he had noticed the scrutinizing gaze.

Leaving the hall, he opened the hall to his piano room and stepped in, disappearing from the reach of the other Noah.

Road stared at the retreating back of the white-haired Noah before groaning softly, the noise dripping with vexation. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at the two twins. "Look what you did now!"

"Tch." Devit's hostile gaze turned abruptly to his left while Jasdero frowned and shrugged, both eyes opening to fix themselves upon the Noah of dreams.

"We were just telling him how we felt," the blond responded coolly.

Road sighed, her knees pulled up against her chest and her chin resting upon their summit. "He's really not bad…" she mumbled unconvincingly with a frown.

"We can't be certain of that just yet," Tyki contradicted calmly, dabbing at his lips with the napkin and setting it back down upon the table. "Even if it was Allen, he would still be the enemy, Road." The girl sighed, but didn't respond.

In the corner, the predatory feline stood silently and stalked out of the hall without a word.

Neah sat silently at the bench of the inversely coloured piano within the pristine room, a frown adorning his features as he stared wordlessly at the instrument that sat before him. The expression had not been provoked because of the words of the twins.

Neah had been prepared to face such blatant opposition, and the suspicion birthed from his reappearance was only to be expected, but he could not help but feel some form of displeasure directed at himself. Due to the fact that he lacked the diplomacy to maintain the order that would precede his presence.

It was only a well known fact that the sins he had committed against his fellow Noah did not merit forgiveness - the mere knowledge that Road, Tyki and Wisely were at least moderately willing to accept him was something that had surprised him more than he liked to admit.

However, the invitation to conflict was one that he could not bear. He could tolerate the coldness that was unsubtly directed his way, but he did not wish to be the cause for unnecessary quarrels. A soft sigh passed his lips as he pressed down upon one ebony key of the piano.

He hoped that the absence of his presence would work favourably for the remaining Noah in the room. If it had sated the irritability of the Noah of bonds, he would be more than glad to leave them to their own until they grey used to his existence among them.

Noiselessly, he pondered upon what Lulu Bell had been observing him for. Of course, there was the typical suspicion and resentment that could allude to her gaze, but he hadn't felt either of those or anything similar. If he were to stretch the hints that were given off by the shapeshifting Noah of lust, he could say that she was curious.

What there was about himself to be curious about, he didn't know, but there was an apparent abundance of perplexity concerning his persona. Whether her silently questioning gaze implied that or not, he wouldn't find out just yet. After all, she was a woman that valued her solitude from what he had seen thus far.

Unconsciously, his fingers had begun to dance over the inversely ebony and ivory keys of the instrument that resided within the impeccable room of pure white. His eyes trailed over the familiar piano as he reacquainted himself with it consciously.

The keys bent wonderfully to the will of his fingers, evoking a faint smile onto his lips as he allowed himself the liberty to manipulate the instrument to his desire. His eyes lidded themselves partially as the melody of his song drifted gently into his ears.

His shoulders grew less tense, and the rest of his body followed their example as he finally settled into a locale of peace, allowing his fingers to lead the meditation of his mind. A soft breath elicited from his lips followed by a barely audible chuckle.

With all that had occurred in the span of the last thirty-five years to the events of the morning, he had forgotten what a pleasure it was to merely sit still for once and play his piano. It was calming and helped de-stress him far more than any conversation would.

Out of the periphery of his mind, he wondered why he had not visited this place more often upon his awakening. After all, it was not as though he was being bound back by the Earl or the other Noah. Deciding that he would return more frequently than he was. It would do him good to relieve himself of the troubles that vexed his mind without end.

His fingers slowed to a halt upon the keys as he felt a pair of eyes settle upon himself. Not looking up from the piano, he sighed faintly. Standing, he stepped away from the instrument before striding over to one of the many windows that adorned the walls of his piano room.

Setting a hand on the glass, he stared at the faint reflection that stared lifelessly back at him. It could have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that the reflection had grown fainter despite the fact that he was standing directly before the window.

"Allen…" he murmured softly, his fingers curling into his palm upon the cold glass. He sighed. The white-haired boy did not seem to be having luck with his quandary. Neah wished he could give aid to the exorcist, but was well aware that he could not even if he wished to.

It was up to Allen to solve this problem; Neah was certain that the teen would make it somehow. If only he would not act purely on impulse and pause to think. It was beyond his power to advise the silver-eyed boy, much to his dismay.

The grey stare that met his eyes as he stared at the window seemed to shimmer faintly. Neah blinked slightly before scrutinizing the reflection more closely. The eyes had returned back to their dull grey. After a moment's hesitation, he shrugged slightly to himself and turned away from the window.

Summoning the gate to return back to the other Noah, he case a last glance at the window. The reflection upon it had lifted a hand and placed it flat upon the glass as its eyes stared intently at him. Slightly unsettled, he stepped through the gate, leaving the piano room.

He could have sworn he heard someone call his name. Perhaps it was merely his imagination. Nodding, he settled on that explanation. After all, his mind was unusually active as of late. Glancing around just in case, he relaxed upon seeing that no one was present in the hall.

Making his way to his room, he kept his steps quick paced so as not to run into anyone after the confrontation at the breakfast table. It was doubtless that minds would rest uneasy after having heard such an encounter between him and the twins.

Opening the door to his room, he swiftly stepped in shutting it behind himself and leaning against the door with a sigh. Lifting his gaze, he tensed as he spotted an unfamiliar one-eyed golem sitting upon the sill of his window, Timcanpy's teeth buried in one of its black wings, akin to that of a bat.

And that's that. Now does the Order know where he is now or...?